Saturday, for a good fortnight. I can therefore keep my
engagements in Scotland, and write to-day to say so.

Lord Palmerston is to be buried in the Abbey on Friday; the family
are pleased. I saw W. Cowper as well as Evelyn Ashley to-day. They
give a good account of Lady Palmerston.... Lord Russell offers me
the lead--I must probably settle it to-morrow. His physical
strength is low, but I suppose in the Lords he may get on. The
greatest difficulty is having almost all the important offices in
the Lords.

_Oct. 24._--Lord Russell now proposes to adjourn the cabinets till
Nov.14th, but I must be here for the Lord Mayor's dinner on the
9th. You will therefore see my programme as it now stands. I send
you a batch of eight letters, which please keep carefully to
yourself, and return in their bundle forthwith. There are divers
proposals on foot, but I think little will be finally settled
before Friday. Sir R. Peel will probably have a peerage offered
him. I have not yet accepted the lead formally, but I suppose it
must come to that. The main question is whether anything, and
what, can be done to improve the structure of the government as
between the two Houses.

_Oct. 25._--Nothing more has yet been done. I consider my position
virtually fixed. I am afraid of Lord Russell's rapidity, but we
shall try to rein it in, There seems to be very little venom in
the atmosphere. I wish Sir G. Grey were here. The Queen's keeping
so long at Balmoral is a sad mistake.

(M44) He received, as was inevitable, plenty of letters from admirers
regretting that he had not gone up higher. His answer was, of course,
uniform. "It was," he told them, "my own impartial and firm opinion that
Lord Russell was the proper person to succeed Lord Palmerston. However
flattered I may be, therefore, to hear of an opinion such as you report
and express, I have felt it my duty to co-operate to the best of my power
in such arrangements as might enable the government to be carried on by
the present ministers, with Lord Russell at their head."

On the other hand, doubts were abundant. To Sir George Grey, one important
friend wrote (Oct. 30): "I think you are right on the score of health, to
give him [Gladstone] the lead of the House; but you will see, with all his
talents, he will not perceive the difference between leading and driving."
Another corresponden